'We want people to register and be inspired': 4th Annual Green Shirt Day urges Canadians to register as organ donors

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Thursday was Green Shirt Day, a day to honour the victims and families of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash four years ago.

It also continues the legacy of Lethbridge’s Logan Boulet by raising awareness of organ donation.

"We definitely want people to wear green," said Bernadine Boulet, Logan’s mom.

"We want people to have conversations with their families. We want people to register and be inspired."

April 6^th marked four years since the tragic bus crash that claimed the lives of 16 players, coaches and staff, including Boulet.

Shortly before the crash, on his 21st birthday, Boulet signed his organ donor card.

It was a decision that saved the lives of six people and ignited the ‘Logan Boulet Effect’.

"We would've never thought that there would be such a lasting legacy, that it would happen, or the impact that Logan would have on other people and on Canada," said Bernadine.

Boulet inspired nearly 147,000 Canadians to register to be donors in the two months after his death.

But during the pandemic, registration dropped by 39 per cent.

"We’re here to support, and push as hard as we can, organ and tissue donor registration and awareness across Canada and the United States and that’s what we do," said Logan’s dad, Toby Boulet.

Logan's parents started Green Shirt Day in 2019 to remember their son and bring awareness to the need for organ transplants,

It's now become a nationwide day of recognition to honour victims and families of the fatal crash and continue Logan's legacy.

"I like to talk about Green Shirt Day as in it's not ever about Logan, it's about the Humboldt Bronco tragedy which then spurned the Logan Boulet Effect," said Toby.

"They're all connected and Logan is part of that because Logan made a decision to do what he thought was the right thing and what I believe and we believe was the right thing to register to sign his donor card."

IMPORTANCE OF GREEN SHIRT DAY

Lethbridge mayor  Blaine Hyggen says the importance of Green Shirt Day cannot be overlooked.

"We wanted to make sure that the awareness was brought forward each and every year," Hyggen told CTV News.

"So each year I plan to do the same thing and bring this initiative forward for Green Shirt Day. The lives that Logan changed and the lives that he’s changing has been simply amazing. "

This year, a new Green Shirt Day logo was created through a University of Lethbridge contest.

Alumnus Joshua Wong had his design chosen and he says he’s honoured to help represent the day’s significance.

"This allows people to have hope," said Wong.

"Have better resources for people that really need this and I’m quite proud to be part of this."

Wong says a lot of thought went into the design of the logo.

"The different shades of green represent freshness, renewal and affirmation of life and the idea that communities are together strong," Wong explained.

"The yellow represents the people that were affected by the Humboldt bus crash itself and for every shape that's in the yellow, it represents each individual that was affected."

The Boulets are holding their "Annual Green Shirt Day Skate" at Lethbridge’s ATB Centre in honour of Logan and organ transplants.

The event runs from 4:30 to 6:00 and everyone is welcome to come down, wear their green shirts and enjoy a night on the rink.

To register to become an organ donor, you can visit the Green Shirt Day’s website to find links to register in your home province.